


Anniversary

by navaan



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616
Genre: 10 Years of Steve/Tony, Anniversary, Established Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Ficlet, Future Fic, Growing Old Together, Love, M/M, Post-Secret Empire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-03-13
Packaged: 2018-10-04 09:23:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10273664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/navaan/pseuds/navaan
Summary: He considered asking FRIDAY where Tony had gone off to, but instead pushed back the blankets and got out of bed himself.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [С годовщиной](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11145630) by [Claire_Vorlaine10](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Claire_Vorlaine10/pseuds/Claire_Vorlaine10)



> Written for Ten Years of Steve/Tony Ficlet project and representing Marvel 616 among the universes.
> 
> Thank you so much [dapperanachronism](http://archiveofourown.org/users/dapperanachronism) for the beta!

When Steve woke up the bed was still warm and the pillow still smelled of Tony. He rolled over to his side and rested his head for a moment on his partner’s pillow. Tony was often sneaking out of bed to get some work done or to tinker on the suit, but usually Steve woke up and noticed. He had been tired though after the latest SHIELD mission and this time Tony had simply slipped away without him noticing.

They were all not getting younger. Not even Captain America.

He considered asking FRIDAY where Tony had gone off to, but instead pushed back the blankets and got out of bed himself. As soon as he was standing inside the bedroom door he could hear Tony’s voice drifting in from the area beyond. “Don’t get nervous. He’ll smell your fear, Williams. Keep calm.”

Tony was wearing a white bathrobe and Friday was projecting a virtual console for him. Steve realized he was talking to Riri, in hushed calm tones, walking her through an encounter. She must have called in. Tony had become the mentor of all the new Iron heroes that had sprung up in her wake over the years and Steve knew she was in space right now for the first prolonged space mission she and her friends had taken on. That was new territory for her. “Don’t listen to the Guardians, Riri,” Tony said calmly. “Listen to me. I dealt with that before.”

Letting Tony do what he needed to do and not wanting to pull his attention away in a critical moment, Steve leaned inside the bedroom door and watched, calmly, as Tony gave all the help he could from down here. The way he moved, the way he focused on the task at hand made him smile. This was still his Tony, even after all these years. And the grey hairs and the reading glasses reflecting the red shine of the virtual console made him look only more sophisticated. Steve knew there were new lines on his own face, knew that sometimes Tony liked to trace them - the marks of the years spent together and apart, the years spent together and fighting each other, but now most definitely together.

“Well done,” Tony praised and Riri thanked him quickly, just like Tony, already busy with focusing back on the task at hand.

FRIDAY winked out of sight, taking the console and the bit of light it provided with her. Tony did not move away from the window that looked out at New York city though. He had built them a new Avengers Tower years ago and it hadn’t been knocked over even once so far, which in Steve’s opinion was the greatest miracle.

Finally, Steve pushed himself away from the doorframe and walked over slowly. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah,” Tony said. “She could have figured that out on her own. But she has learned how to ask for help when she knows that I can give it.”

“Someone should have taught you that at that age.”

“Ha ha,” Tony said as if it was a bad joke, but smiled, his eyes behind the reading glasses twinkling with mirth. 

“It’s 4 o’clock in the morning,” Steve pointed out and Tony took of the glasses.

“We should go back to bed,” he agreed easily, rubbing at the bridge of his nose with two fingers.

“Not what I meant.” He grinned and then kissed Tony right on the mouth, just a sweet innocent peck on the lips. Tony blinked. “Happy anniversary.”

When he tried to pull away, Tony pulled him into an embrace, leaned his head on his shoulder and looked back out at the city. “Has it really been 10 years already?”

“That’s what the calendar is telling me.”

“To think how much time we wasted to get here.”

Steve also looked out the window. He knew that down there was Avengers Mansion and another team of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. He briefly thought about all the things they’d been through - from becoming friends on that first team, living down in that mansion themselves, young and dealing with their own issues, to Kang messing up Tony’s life, to Wanda breaking up the team, to all the times the world had ended any yet something had gone on and to all the terrible times they’d fought each other, when nothing they’d wanted more was to be together. “You know,” he said, “if all of it has led us to this, then it was absolutely worth it.”

Tony huffed. “I love you, you corny idiot,” he said affectionately. “Happy anniversary. You can unwrap your gift now or later…” He pulled the robe down a bit over one shoulder and wriggled his eyebrows.

“Now,” Steve said. “I’ll make you anniversary pancakes later.”

“Sounds like a deal.”

He knew that things could have easily torn apart other friendships, but he would go through all of the fighting, tragedy and even the time of having lost himself to the changes Kobik had put on his memories again if it meant he ended up here with Tony. With a smile he took him by the hand and pulled him back towards the bedroom.


End file.
